the HOT List

A just-released Kagan analysis finds that three of the top TV markets for presidential political ad spending were in the Sunshine State. The No. 1 DMA? It's the Valley of the Sun, where it appears Democrats have made major advances in the 2020 election.

Entercom Communications -- which reported its Q3 2020 earnings results Friday morning -- is entering into an asset exchange agreement with Urban One. The deal gives Urban One properties in Charlotte. For Entercom, it grabs a greater foothold in St. Louis, Philadelphia and in the Nation's Capital, with 'Now 96.3' disappearing and KYW expanding to FM.

It was a "record" quarter, Nexstar Media Group founder and Chairman/CEO Perry Sook said on his company's pre-opening bell earnings call conducted Thursday.  The positive earnings report brought a needed spark to Nexstar's suddenly sputtering stock.

"While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact total company revenues, sequentially our year-over-year performance has continued to recover," says Meredith Corp. leader Tom Harty. How did its Local Media arm, comprised of 17 over-the-air broadcast TV stations, perform? The results for fiscal Q1 '21 look quite good.

With "record" Q3 results and a street beat for its Q3 earnings and revenue results, Gray Television has decided to expand its share repurchase authorization in a sizable way. While share repurchases would be seen from time to time through 2023, C-suite confidence sparked the publicly traded GTN, with an 5% rise in value on Thursday.

For Sinclair Broadcast Group, a multi-billion loss was seen in Q3. At first glance, it appears devastating. But, when one takes a closer look and gains a deeper understanding of just where its business was in the quarter, Sinclair's picture brightens a bit -- but not substantially.

Esteemed Wall Street observer Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson believes he knows why Fox Corporation stock is declining, despite a solid fiscal Q1 2021 report. Talk of a "Trump News Network," should he not be re-elected in a tightening race he's already questioned the validity of, is increasing. This would hurt Fox, he believes.

Third quarter revenue is up significantly compared to the second quarter, Beasley Broadcast Group said on Tuesday. But, investors will likely elect for the more standard year-over-year results, rather than a quarter-by-quarter look, when judging just how strong -- or weak -- Beasley's Q3 was. How was it? Investors were certainly pleased.

RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson engages in a lively chat with Ken Frierson, who has just been promoted from General Sales Manager to VP/GM of the Meredith Local Media Group, in this all-new Election Day edition of the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by Dot.FM. LISTEN HERE

We can't predict the election results ... but we can say with the utmost certainty that Forecast Live will give you the insights and information that will help power your decisions in 2021 no matter who is the U.S. president from Jan. 20, 2021. The first day of Forecast Live is now set, and Susan Larkin and Matt Britton are just some of the big names on the agenda!

With Les Levi as COO and Philip Falcone as CEO, HC2 Holdings has generated buzz in recent years for snatching up TV stations big and small, becoming one of the more active buyers. Now, HC2 is selling a trio of full-power TV stations -- along with a LPTV. The buyer? Look no further than a full-power TV station in the Nashville market that's just been spun by HC2.

Shares of Nielsen Holdings plc stock were on the rise in heavy trading on Monday afternoon (11/2), following the release three days early of the company's third quarter financial results. This was prompted by the Nov. 1 announcement that it is spinning its Global Connect business, to be renamed "Nielsen IQ," along with what it calls its "solid" Q3 performance.

Like a condo association, having reserves in times of fiscal need is important. Otherwise, an assessment could be implemented to help cover costs. With COVID-19 killing the NAB's 2020 conferences across the board, it is now turning to its members to help defray its ongoing efforts to "defend" the radio and TV business.

Upon completion of the transaction, Nielsen Global Connect will be a private company “with the flexibility to continue investing in the development and deployment of leading-edge measurement products and solutions,” Nielsen says.

He's already a familiar face to TV viewers thanks to his role as a mentor on "American Idol" and the winner (with Sharna Burgess) of season 27 of "Dancing With the Stars." Now, iHeartMedia Country radio air personality Bobby Bones -- a New York Times best-selling author, too -- has a deal with the stateside arm of BBC Studios.